Job fair held instead of vigil in response to recent violence

West Louisville community leaders are hoping to stem the recent tide of violence by getting people off the street and in the workplace.

A job workshop was held Wednesday as a result of four separate shootings in less than 24 hours this week.

Police are still investigating the shootings that left one man dead and four other people wounded.

"Typically in our community, we sing, we burn candles, we let off balloons. This is all symbolic. It's good, its an act of remembrance, its done as a memorial, but its nothing concrete," said Minister Jerald Muhammad.

To work toward concrete solutions, Muhammad hosted a workshop at the Plymouth Community Renewal Center.

He spoke to the crowd about the different skills to not only get a job, but to keep one.

He said some of the people he comes across are unemployed while others are unemployable, "meaning they don't have resumes, they don't know how to interview. They don't know what it means to be on time for a job, so we found that a lot of folks that we sent, they just weren't ready, so what we want to do is show them how to get ready," Muhammad said.

The event comes on the heels of several violent incidents in the area.

On Monday evening, Steve Bledsoe, 24, was gunned down near 32nd Street and Greenwood.

On Tuesday, three other unrelated shootings in west Louisville sent four people to the hospital.

Donald Brown, who came to the workshop in search of a job, said the violence is out of control.

"I've got kids of my own and I don't even feel like it's safe for them to play outside anymore," Brown said.

Kurt Muhammad attended hoping to be a positive example.

He grew up in a low-income housing project in west Louisville and despite a criminal history, he was able to use the carpet business to turn his life around.

"It gave me an outlet where I don't have to do nothing illegal," he said.

Police have made no arrests in any of the shootings.

If you have any information that can help police solve the crimes you are asked to call 574-LMPD.